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After a couple tours in Tonkin Gulf with "5" I received orders to NAS Albany. LCDR Rich Martin was AIMD Dept head and he sent me to Work Study school at Naval Station, Norfolk for 3 months before I…Continue

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I arrived in Albany 1 April 1970 as an ATN fresh out of "A" school in Memphis. As with most did compartment cleaning for a few weeks. Then moved to working the coffee mess in AIMD. I learned right away you NEVER clean the coffee pots, maybe that's the reason I moved into CNI work center 610 so quickly. I worked for ATCIJoe Simms and AT1 John Robbie Roberts, great guys. MCPO Braceland was in charge and was also a good guy. I learned alot, stayed there until discharged in 1973 as AT2. Good times for sure.

After completion of AS(E) A school in June of 1970, I was sent to NAS Albany to the Ground Support division of the AIMD. Near the end of my first 18 months in Albany, I was asked if I would consider extending my orders there, to which I said yes. I didn't know at the time that I would be extended until the end of my enlistment. I stayed in Albany until I was released from active duty in October of 1973.

During my time at Albany I advanced from AN to ASE2. I worked the entire time in the Ground Support shop. I served under two different AIMD officers, CDR Patterson and LCDR Martin: three different Division officers, CWO Joiner, LT Schroeder, and Ensign Cheney, and three different LCPO, Chief Jimmy Halford, Chief Don Allsep, and Chief Omer "Mac" McCann. I cherish the time I spent there, the good times and the bad. And I made many friends, a few of whom I have contacted since getting out. As of now, the only one I had remained in contact with, Chief Don Allsep, passed away April of 2016. I would love to hear from some of my old shipmates from GSE, or any others that I knew while stationed at NAS Albany.

I was NOT ships company, but I transferred up there from Sanford, early for classes. While I had great bunking at Sanford, (the new NCO, E5 & up) most were really old barracks, like I had at HT-8, ALF Ellison. The rooms were HUGE!

Before the Navy took it over, it was a USAF (B-52?) base. A few weeks or so later the rest of Sanford made the move up to Albany.

I have been thru Albany since, a few years ago, and it has changed a LOT! The ole country road that led to I-75 is now built up, nothing like it was in the late 60s